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Spatiotemporal dynamics and heterogeneous driving mechanisms of soil wind erosion in the forest-grassland ecotone: Responses to climate change and vegetation dynamics across aridity types.

Qiankun Yang,Zhiqing Jia,Xuequan Wang,Pingyi Zhou,Mengjun Zhong,Han Zhaorigetu,Yu Shang

Published 2025 in Journal of Environmental Management

ABSTRACT

Under the combined impacts of climate change and human activities, soil wind erosion in ecologically fragile forest-grassland ecotones of arid and semi-arid regions poses a growing challenge. However, the complex feedback mechanisms among climate, vegetation, and soil along aridity gradients, and their integrated effects on the erosion process, remain poorly understood, thereby constraining the effectiveness of regional restoration measures. Focusing on the Greater Khingan Range-Hulunbuir Grassland ecotone, this study employed the Revised Wind Erosion Equation (RWEQ) model with remote sensing and climate data from 1984 to 2023, in conjunction with Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), to quantitatively analyze the differential spatiotemporal dynamics of soil wind erosion and its driving mechanisms across aridity gradients. The results indicate that: 1) Over the past four decades, soil wind erosion intensity in the study area exhibited a trend of initial increase (1984-2000) followed by a decrease (2001-2023), with a turning point around the year 2000. Areas of severe erosion were primarily concentrated in the western arid and drier semi-arid zones. 2) Between 1984 and 2000, vegetation degradation and rising temperatures were the primary drivers of intensified erosion, collectively contributing to nearly 80 % of the increase. After 2000, vegetation recovery became the key factor in suppressing erosion, with a contribution rate exceeding 50 %, effectively mitigating the deteriorating trend. 3) The driving mechanisms exhibit significant heterogeneity across aridity gradients. The sensitivity of soil wind erosion to climatic fluctuations and vegetation changes increased markedly with aridity. Notably, in the arid zone, the overconsumption of soil moisture by large-scale vegetation restoration may undermine its long-term benefits for soil stabilization, whereas in the sub-humid zone, rising temperatures had a positive effect on vegetation growth. This study reveals the differential response mechanisms of soil erosion to environmental changes under varying aridity contexts, underscoring the importance of formulating site-specific ecological restoration strategies. It provides a scientific basis for the co-management of regional soil and water resources and for sustainable development.

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